The Promised Land
by Ferren Redgrave
Summary: Kaiba Corp discovers a new source of energy that would change the lives of humanity. It would advance the human race by one hundred years. A myertious monster appeared a few days after the discovery causing trouble at the High School where Yugi and the others attend. When hope was lost and they believed they were going to die, a figure dressed in all black appeared to save them.
1. Chapter I: The Enigma Appears

_This world is filled with terrible and amazing things. Things that baffle even the hardest of skeptics. The sky was filled with ash and cries that night. The night where the world fell and monsters thrived. Not even humanity's most advance technologies could stop this fate. The largest tower burned brightly as monsters continue to appear from within it. Smoke choked the citizens as they fled in fear. Cards of various decks laid scattered on the ground. Some where stained with blood from the fallen duelists that were slayed by the monsters they come to love._

 _A blonde teenager wept over the sight of his slaughtered friends and family. Standing within the Kaiba building, he bared witnessed to the monster's escape into the human realm. Then a light within the horrifying darkness emerged._

Chapter I: The Enigma Appears

"Can you believe it?" Yugi asked as he held up the local newspaper. The small duelist glanced at his group of friends that sat near by. Honda and Otogi sat across from him while Anzu and Bakura sat on each side. Jou was a few seats behind him and his head rested against the desk. The blonde was softly breathing as he slept deeply. Yugi continued to speak to his friends that weren't asleep. The puzzle hung around Yugi's neck. It shined slightly in the sunlight. The day was warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. "Kaiba's company had discovered a new source of energy. Isn't that amazing?"

Anzu let out a happy giggle. "Now the world wouldn't need to burn through fossil fuels. I heard it's more clean that solar energy and more convenient." she explained. "I saw the press conference Kaiba had about it a few days ago." She paused and tried to recall what he stated. "It's going to advance humanity's technology greatly. Even the world of dueling will be affected. He did state it's still in testing phase though."

"Well I guess that will make the guy even richer now, huh?" Otogi asked with a light smile.

"No doubt." Honda replied. " Well I can't wait to see how the world will change because of it."

"Anzu" Yugi spoke up. "Do you recall what Kaiba is gonna call the new energy?"

"The Promise Land." she replied as she folded her arms. "He stated something about leading the human race to a bright and better future. "

"The name is dumb." Honda replied.

"Maybe but we can't over look the possibilities that this new power source could create." Yugi told with a smile. The sound of shuffling was heard behind him. The small duelist saw Jou's shoulders twitch. It appeared he was having a nightmare. "Jou?" He moved over and shook him gently. "Jou. Hey. Wake up."

The blonde stirred and lifted his head. "Huh?" he glanced around. His tired eyes laid on Yugi. "Hm? Yugi? How long was I sleeping for? "

"For the whole study hall period." Yugi replied. "You look like you were having a nasty dream."

"I don't know..." Jou rubbed the back of his head. He struggled to remember what his dream was about. "It felt pretty real though." he told. "Ah well." The class room door opened and Seto stepped through looking like he didn't want to be here.

"Kaiba came?" Anzu asked.

"Well, it is the first day of school. It's our last year after all..." Yugi told.

Jou looked disinterested. He laid his head back down on the desk and went back to sleep. Seto walked to his seat and looked exhausted. Yugi was worried and walked over to the tall brunet. "I didn't think you would come to school today."

Kaiba glanced at the tiny duelist. "Hm. Only here for first period then I have other work to do." he told bluntly. His blue colored eyes fell on Jou who was sleeping again. "What is wrong with the deadbeat?"

"He was out dueling I suppose. I guess late night duels is taking their toll on him." Anzu told.

"Don't tell me he is part of some underground dueling club." Kaiba asked.

"No. He just stayed up late dueling with his sister. She wanted to learn how to play and so he helped her build a deck and everything." Yugi told. "Kaiba. Can we talk about that new energy source your company found?"

Kaiba looked back at Yugi. "What about it?"

"Is it really as powerful as the media is saying it is? They say it has the power to change the world for the better. "

"It has a lot of potential. The promise land energy is still unstable, for now. Once perfected, it will advance mankind." Seto replied. "That is all I can say for now. Don't pester me about it." He looked away. It was annoying to deal with school things. Luckily, he only had to be here for first period.

Jou stirred and lifted his head. He stared in a daze out the window. His vision was blurry but he saw something that wasn't suppose to be there. It appeared to be a large black mass and Jou's brown eyes widen. "Wha?" he shot up shocking the students around him. The blonde moved to the window and there was something heading this way.

Yugi hurried over. "Jou? What is the matter?" he asked before turning and seeing that same black mass. It was getting bigger and bigger. It appeared to be a large bird like creature. Jou stared in shock before turning and yelling. "Everyone! GET IN THE HALL NOW!"

Everyone stared confused. The windows began to shake and so did the building. The students in the class room hurried out into the hallway as the large bird flew passed the window causing the glass to break. Screams from the students filled the hall ways as they fled from the danger. Yugi and everyone hurried out of the hallway and down the stairs.

"Where should we go? What is that thing!?" Anzu yelled as she ran. Yugi had transformed into Yami. He ran behind Bakura and Anzu. Otogi ran a head of them all. Honda was beside Yami. "Where is Jou and Kaiba?" he asked.

Honda looked around. "Shit! Did we get separated?" he glanced around as they kept moving with the crowd. He couldn't see Jou or Seto anywhere. The screams of the panic students silenced any attempts to call out. Everyone hurried out of the building and stared as the large bird circled around the school. It deem disinterested in the students that were outside.

Jou stirred when he heard someone's voice. "Wake up! Deadbeat! Wake up!" It was Seto. The brunet had been shaking the blonde. His shoulder had a large piece of glass in it. "Get up now! " he snapped. The blonde blinked and glanced around. The class room was in ruins of turned over desk and broken glass. Jou stared in shock as he got to his feet.

"Damn! What the hell was that thing?" He asked as Seto dragged him along. Jou ran beside him and the large bird let out a loud screech. It seemed to be following Jou. They hurried down the stairs. The bird flew beside the building causing the windows to burst. The CEO stumbled and fell down the steps with Jou. They both screamed as they landed. "Damn!" Jou snapped.

"Shit." Seto muttered as he held onto his wounded shoulder. Jou grabbed onto Seto's wrist and helped him. They began to hurry out of the building however the large bird was waiting for them. The pair stared wide eye before Jou retreated with Seto back inside the building. The bird let out another screech which sent them flying inside. It pushed it's way inside and began hissing at them both.

Jou sat in front of Seto and growled. "Get away, fuckin' bird. We aren't ya meal!" he snapped and threw some debris at it. "Shoo! Get outta here"! The debris did little to harm the gigantic bird beast. It hissed and glared at them both. The blonde let out a grunt but his eyes widen as he began to hear a voice coming from the large black beast. It's talons dug into the floor as it began to express a deep hatred for the pair.

"YoU aRE aN PoISoN ThAT MuST BE DeStrOyEd!" It spoke with a high pitched screech. It soon began to flap it's massive wings. Jou was forced back against the near by wall with Kaiba. The pressure of the wind hitting them was harsh. They both let out a few grunts. Debris began to fly towards them. A large piece of rubble began to fly at the two. Jou acted instinctively and pushed the brunet beside him to the ground. A shard from the rubble struck Jou in the back which knocked him unconscious. Blood began to seep through his school uniform. Kaiba let out a growl and brace for impact as another large piece began to fly their way. The impact never hit.

Seto opened one of his eyes and around them was a wall of brightly glowing swords. Footsteps echoed as a figure with long white hair doused in black attire walked right in front of the large beast. It stopped flapping it's mighty wings and became still. Yami managed to pushed his way into the school building. He stopped when he saw the beast stop moving and the swords that floated in the air. He knew those swords any where.

"The swords of revealing light?" he gasped. The ancient spirit stared stunned but snapped out of his shock and moved his way to the two pinned down by the debris. "Kaiba! Jou!" He hurried to where Jou laid still against the ground beside Seto. The CEO stared in shock still unsure to make of the situation. The white haired figure turned and stared at the three. His face was covered by a black leather mask that hid his right eye. The one not covered stared an icy blue.

" King of games." the figure spoke. His voice muffled somewhat but still could be understood just fine. "I wouldn't step out of the range of the swords if I were you or you will end up as bird food." he turned back to the bird monster. The beast let out a hiss of frustration. It shook the ground for a few moments and the black monster because to speak once again.

"HoW?! HoW ArE YoU HeRE!? YoU. ShoULD oF bEEn KiLLed! " the great beast screetched out but couldn't move due to the swords freezing it in place. The white haired figure dressed in all black shifted his weight and kicked some rubble out of the way. The man 's eyes narrowed and his icy glare locked gazes with the large bird monster.

" I'm too stubborn to stay dead. " the figure began. He lifted his arm and an duel disk shot from the side of his forearm. There was a deck withing it and in play was the spell card, Swords Of Revealing Light. The man drew the top card from his deck. "You're dead now, beast. I'll send you to the hell that you flew out of. " he placed a card onto the duel disk. A large dragon with huge white wings formed seemly out of thin air. Yami and Kaiba were awestruck at what had formed right in front of them. Kaiba, out of everyone present was the most shocked.

The brunet struggled to his feet. Blood poured from his open wound on his shoulder. The pain didn't matter as his icy blue eyes widen in shock. "How is this happening? How!?" he spat. In front of the three duelists was the Blue Eyes White Dragon. It let out a fearsome roar at the large black bird. The white haired figure with tan skin stood beside it. "Go to hell, feather face. " he told as he snapped his fingers. The Blue Eyes let out another roar and released a powerful attack. "White Lightning!" the mysterious man yelled out.

The large black bird let out one final screech as it was dissolved into nothing due to the large energy blast released by the white dragon. Yami stared in utter shock as did Kaiba. The figure turned and stared at them both. His icy stare was stoic and void of any real emotion. The CEO let out a growl. "You better start explaining everything now! Why do you have MY Blue Eyes White Dragon?" he spat. If this was some sort of sick joke, he wasn't laughing.

The swords faded and the figure touched the dragon's snout. He gave an affectionate pat before it too vanished back into the deck. The white haired man stared at the three of them before he moved towards Kaiba. "You." he began. "Stop the Promise Land project. Erase all the data and destroy it. It will only bring you nothing but pain." he told.

"Answer my damn question!" Seto demanded. "Why do you have my Blue Eyes White Dragon!?" The figure let out a sigh and turned. He began to walk away. His black coat floated behind him as he walked. He stopped in his tracks before turning to face the three duelists again.

"Heed my warning. Destroy the Promise Land project." he spoke before he kicked off the ground and jumped onto some debris before vanishing from any sight. Seto wanted to go after him but stopped as his shoulder began to really hurt. Yami helped steady the taller man.

"Forget about him for now. We need to get you and Jou to a hospital." Yami spoke. Seto glared at Yami for a moment before looking at the fallen blonde. He wasn't in good shape. The piece of debris was stuck deeply into his back. Police officers and other rescue workers poured into the building. Soon Jou and Kaiba was taken to the nearest hospital. There they were kept there over night and for questioning.


	2. Chapter II: Recovery and Unanswered Ques

Title: The Promised Land

Chapter II: Recovery and Unanswered Questions

Pairings: None.

Rating: T

Genres: Supernatural, Mystery, Angst, Alternate Universe

Summary: Kaiba Corp discovers a new source of energy that would change the lives of humanity. It would advance the human race by one hundred years. A mysterious monster appeared a few days after the discovery causing trouble at the High School where Yugi and the others attend. When hope was lost and they believed they were going to die, a figure dressed in all black appeared to save them.

Chapter II: Recovery and Unanswered Questions.

Jou didn't wake for seven hours after the school incident. The teenager wasn't sure how he got to the hospital but he was thankful none the less. He sat up slowly and winced as pain rushed through his back. "Ugh"! He cried out as he fell back against the bed. Any pain medicine he was given had wore off. Now his body was stiff and sore. He ached all over and Jou just wanted it to stop. "Geeze." he muttered. He slowly turned and saw the door to his room open. Yugi hurried through holding some snacks. Small feet moved quickly against the hard ground as he moved straight to Jou's bed side. A few tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, threatening to run down his cheeks in any given moment.

"Jou. You are awake! I was so worried about you. Everyone was." Yugi sniffled lightly and he wiped his eyes a bit after setting the snacks down on the small counter beside Jou's bed. The shorter teenager started to open some of the snacks for Jou. He could tell how sore he was and must have been in a lot of pain. The blonde haired teen turned and looked at Yugi. He didn't want to worry the other but he couldn't help it.

"Hey, Yugi. Can ya tell the nurse to bring me some more pain medication? My back is killin' me, ya know?" Jou was no light weight when it came to pain. He suffered worse injuries than this but at that time he couldn't go to the hospital. So he did without. Now was different. There was no need to suffer alone anymore. Not when he had friends like Yugi and Anzu and everyone else. Yugi had given a small nod and soon left the room to fetch the nurse. The blonde moved his hand over his face. The memories of the large bird like monster played through his mind. What was that? Why did it go after only him and Kaiba? Why did it call them a poison? All the questions Jou had made his head hurt. "Damn it..." he muttered.

Footsteps echoed through the room and the nurse entered with Yugi. She held a needle and gave the patient a shot to dull the pain for awhile. Jou stared up at her and blushed a little. She was quite the looker and the teen took notice at how large her chest really was. "Now, Jounouchi " she spoke with a warm sounding voice. "How are you feeling? Do you remember what happened to you? " she asked as he held her clip board close.

Jounouchi glanced at her again and sat up slowly. He sighed lightly as he felt the effects of the medicine begin to take over. The pain he felt in his back began to fade. Brown eyes rested on her form as he began to speak. "I'm doin' alright despite my back. I remember everythin'. There is nothin' wrong with my memory." Eyes shifted to Yugi who sat quickly beside the bed. A worry look dressed his face. Jou reached out and put a hand on his head and ruffled it a bit. "Don't worry so much. I won't kick the bucket that easily.

Yugi huffed lightly. "Jounouchi. I'm not a little kid." the smaller teen moved his friend's hand away before hearing the nurse let out a giggle or two. She wrote down the notes on her clip board so the doctor could review them. The blonde haired patient laid back against the bed as the nurse continued her writing.

"I"m guessin' I'll be stayin' here for awhile?" he asked.

The nurse paused her writing and smiled lightly at him. "For a day or two. The stitches on your back need to settle. We just want to keep you an extra day for observation. Make sure nothing else happens. Don't want you to return home to find out you have internal bleeding." she explained as he continue to move her pen against the paper of her clip board.

"Isn't that where the blood suppose to be?" Jou asked.

"Not like that. " Yugi told. "You should of payed attention in health class instead of skipping." he scolded. Jou blinked and let out a laugh.

The nurse chuckled as well. "Alright. You should start feeling sleepy soon due to the medicine. Make sure to drink some water and try not to move around so much. With any luck, you'll be able to go home tomorrow. " she paused and thought for a moment. "Oh yes. I should mention that your wound will leave a rather deep scar. You'll also be in a wheel chair for a couple of weeks. "

"A wheel chair? How am I suppose to duel like that?" Jou asked with a light huff. Perhaps it wasn't the time to think about dueling. Not when that attack happened but the duelist wanted to distract himself, at least for now. He felt Yugi place a hand on top of his. A look of worry reappeared on his face.

"I will push you around, Jounouchi. " Yugi said as he glanced up at the nurse. He hoped that she would let him stay for the whole night.

She smiled. "We will speak more tomorrow. Ah, are you going to stay the night as well?" she asked Yugi. "Normally it's only family members but I found out that his family is out of town right now. I believe your other friend, Anzu told me that when we tried to reach an emergency contact for Jounouchi. "

Yugi gave a nod. "I already told my grandpa that I was going to stay here. " he told her. "Please let me stay. He doesn't have anyone else right now. " He gave her a pleading look. The nurse blinked and smiled lightly. She patted him on the shoulder in a comforting way.

"You can stay. It's already been approved." she told. The nurse turned and left the hospital room. Yugi turned and looked at Jou and noticed he had fallen asleep. His chest moved in a slow motion. The shorter duelist could tell that Jou was comfortable. Yugi moved back into the chair and turned out the lamp before pulling a blanket on his lap. It was then Yami appeared beside him in an astral form. He stared long at Jou before speaking.

"Is he going to be okay, Yugi?"

Yugi smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. The doctor earlier said he was lucky. The debris missed his spine. He is going come back bouncing like he always does. " he paused and glanced over at his counterpart. "You were really amazing. You got Jou and Kaiba to safety. You didn't hesitate once. Your bravery is really awesome."

Yami blinked and shook his head. "I acted on instinct. I didn't want anyone to be killed. Did anyone from the school die?" he asked.

"No. Everyone made it out okay. There was a lot of wounded but they should recover." Yugi explained. He leaned back against his chair. Yami looked at Jou again before asking about Kaiba's whereabouts.

"Kaiba has his own private doctor. I assume he is fine at home. The doctors here wanted him to stay but he is very stubborn. He told them he had too much work to do to stay in bed. " Yugi explained. He let out a small yawn.

The ancient spirit looked at his partner. " You should get some sleep. You look drained. " With that, Yami returned to the depths of the puzzle. Yugi held the golden artifact tightly for a moment before getting comfortable and falling asleep. The hospital was peaceful that night.

Kaiba walked down the hallways of his mansion. His wounded shoulder had bandages and a sling wrapped around it. The brunet looked utterly annoyed. In all his genius, he couldn't comprehend what had happened at the school. Monsters didn't truly exist but one appeared and seemed to hunt Seto and Jou down specifically. Then a man in a black mask appeared and disposed of the monster easily. What was worse this man wielded the Blue Eyes White Dragon. That angered him the most. As far Seto knew, he was the only Blue Eyes master.

The CEO walked into his office and sat down at the desk littered with papers and plans that dealt with his current project. The Promised Land...the energy source that will be the greatest discovery made by mankind. It would advance the race at least a hundred years. Kaiba began to recall the man's words to him. They were utter nonsense. Just ramblings of a damn fool who didn't know his place. Seto ran a hand through his hair and decided he should focus on his work more so than anything. Since the school will be closed for awhile due to the whole damn incident, this gave him a chance to get something done.

There was a soft knock at the door. Seto's eyes focused on his work. "Enter." he commanded. The door swung open and Mokuba entered. The younger boy didn't look so happy to find his big brother ignoring bed rest for work.

"Seto. You heard the doctor. You shouldn't be up and moving." he huffed lightly.

"I don't have the luxury to rest. Not when there is so much work left to do. " the older brother told. He glanced up at Mokuba. "Besides. I'm on pain killers. Strong ones." Slender fingers began to type at a laptop. "We are so close to mastering the Promised Land. We can't simply slow down for a flesh wound."

Mokuba had moved closer to the desk. "Seto. Please take it easy. Just try to not push yourself. Okay? I almost lost you today."

"Don't be stupid. I'm not so easy to kill." the brunet replied. The memory of Jou pushing him away caused him to wince slightly. It wasn't his fault the damn deadbeat decided to be stupid and push him away. Still there was a slight hint of guilt. Not that it was going to show on Seto's face. He glanced at Mokuba finally.

"I will be fine. It's late. Go to bed. You don't want to stay short forever, don't you? "

Mokuba huffed. "Don't treat me like a little kid. I'm a genius too, you know!" He then laughed lightly. "Alright. I'm going. Geeze. Just don't keel over, alright? You are acting like a stubborn old man. You should break that habit."

"Goodnight, Mokuba." Seto replied with a slightly annoyed tone. Like hell he was old man.

Mokuba let out another teasing laugh before leaving the office and heading to his bedroom to sleep for the night. Seto leaned back in his chair and let out a tired breath. Sleeping did sound good but the work was piling up. It was going to be a long night.

The moon was high as it overlooked the damaged school building. There was police tape everywhere but no signs of people. Everyone had gone home. On the roof of the building sat the mysterious man in black. He stared up at the night filled sky and at the city that remained lit always. It looked like a sea of stars in the streets.

The man moved and sat on the railing. His blue eye fell short and he began to speak. "That was very reckless of you. You shouldn't be so stupid." he paused for a moment before speaking again. "That is rich coming from you. You are the definition of reckless." The man was having a conversation with himself.

"You could of use a different card."

"No. It was the only thing strong enough to defeat that monster."

"You are such a show off."

"Perhaps."

The man shifted on the railing before standing. He stared out in a daze. " It has to be stopped here...at all costs." he paused for a moment before speaking again. "I agree. " With that the man in black jumped from the building and landed upon some debris with ease. He moved off the campus and down the street. The white haired figure moved swiftly and his jacket swayed behind him slowly.

In the morning, Jou was released from the hospital. He yawned lightly and watched Yugi talk to his grandfather whom brought a car. The smaller teen moved over to the blonde and smiled. "Grandpa says you can stay with us. There is plenty of room."

Jou smiled lightly. "Sounds like a plan. I can't wait to eat something other than hospital food ya know?" he asked. Yugi gave a nod and helped Jou move into the back seat. His grandpa folded up the chair and placed it in the trunk. Yugi sat beside the blonde haired teen.

"Grandpa is gonna make us some hamburgers for dinner. " Yugi told.

"Yes." Jou smiled in victory. After all, hamburgers are his favorite food. "Thanks Yugi. For stayin' with me and helpin' me. " he rested against the seat. "I feel like a slug cause I can't move so well. "

" It's normal. You are injured. It's gonna take a while before you can move normally." Yugi explained. The three of them drove off to Yugi's home where Jou would be staying for awhile.


	3. Chapter III: Incubator

Chapter III: Incubator

"Has the drilling process been completed? " asked Seto from his office. The brunet CEO held a phone to his ear. There was a pausing silence before the teenager began to speak again. "Alright. I shall head over there. We will continue to run stability tests." he hung up the phone with ease despite only having one functional arm. Seto was still recovering from the strange attack. It had made news and even the police are baffled by what the witnesses saw. Three weeks had passed without another incident. Still, the attack and the words from the large black bird weighed on the back of Kaiba's mind. Regardless, he had no time to be idling with monsters and other magical nonsense. There was much work to be done.

Seto stood up and headed towards his bedroom. Once there, he would change into a simple suit with an aid of a maid. It was still hard to move around with an injured shoulder. His dominate arm was still resting in a sling. There would be a nasty scar left after everything is said and done. Kaiba didn't care for scars. He had many from youth and one more wouldn't do much to his already tarnished body. Old memories of his abused by his adoptive father played through his mind. It was utter nonsense now. He had won and now the company...the fortune was his. Seto closed his tired blue eyes and slipped on his suit coat before turning to the maid. "I shall be out for a few days. Tend to the house and your duties like normal."

The maid bowed. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba." she spoke and walked with him. "I shall watch over the manor while you are gone." she paused for a moment. " Is Master Mokuba going to accompany you as well?" The brunet stopped walking and so did she.

"No. He has his studies to attend too. Make sure he doesn't stray from them. I've been working him too hard and his grades have began to suffer. Help him if he needs any assistance. I know you are pretty sharp when it comes to education."

The maid bowed. "Yes, sir. I will tend to Master Mokuba's studies." Seto gave her a nod before heading out the main entrance and into the limo. He sat in the back and glanced out the window. The words of the black beast that attacked the school echoed through his mind once again. A poison? Him? Absurd. Seto closed his eyes as he was taken to his company. There was much work to be done.

* * *

 _"Posion...you shall die..."_

 _"No...how could this happen? "_

 _"...you shall die.."_

 _The sound of large wings unfolding echoed through the blonde's ears. The screech of the bird shook him to the core. It began to give chase and he began to panic. He was running but at the same time not moving. The large black bird was giving chase. "I shall...kill you."_

"...Jou!"

Brown eyes snapped opened and move around. They were wide eye and full of fear and hysteria. Jounochi panted as his eyes fell upon Yugi who stood beside his bed with a worried expression. It was then that the blonde realized he had a very bad nightmare. Jou let out a sigh and laid his head back against the pillow. "Was...I screaming?"

"No." Yugi spoke up softly. "You were groaning a lot and sweating. Are you okay now?" he asked as he put his hands on top of Jou's. "Where you dreaming about the big monster that attacked the school a few weeks ago?"

" Yeah but it's fine. Just a stupid nightmare. Nothin' to get too worried about you know?" he asked as he sat up. He gave Yugi's hand a comforting squeeze before standing up. The blonde's shirt was soaked with sweat and he sighed lightly. "Damn. Even my bandages are covered in sweat. I need a shower.."

Yugi got up and followed him. "Okay. I'll get some new bandages while you wash up. I can also make us some lunch too. Or do you want to order something? I'm in the mood for some pizza myself." he explained with a smile. Jou smiled as well and gathered some clean clothing.

"Sounds like a plan. I got it covered. Pizza sounds amazin'." Jounochi told as he moved out of the guest room and towards the bathroom. "I'll be done soon. Go ahead and order the pizza. I got the money in my wallet." he called out before he shut the door to the bathroom behind him. The blonde let out a sigh and walked to the mirror. Slowly he began to undress and unwrap the bandages. Turning slowly a large series of stitches reflected in the mirror and the teen winced at the nasty sight. "Damn. That is going to leave one hell of a scar..." There was another sigh that escaped his pale lips.

Jou turned on the shower and discarded the rest of his sweaty clothing and stepped into the tub. Hot water hit his body, soothing the soreness and aches from his injuries. It was luck that such a large wound missed anything vital. The memories from the nightmare played through his mind like a movie. The scratchy voice of the large bird beast continued to unnerve him. Soon the blonde became lost in his own thoughts. Why did it only come after him and Kaiba? It didn't make any sense. They were it's target...poison to be destroyed? Jou's eyes snapped open in realization. There could be more monsters like that on their way. Jou always trusted his instincts and his gut was telling him that this could happen. It was better to be prepared and not have anything happen then the reverse.

The blonde teen finished his shower and dried off. There was much on his mind. "Damn..." he muttered. The trauma of the attack still hadn't passed. "I"m becomin' paranoid..." he spoke to himself. Still, his nerves hadn't calmed down since then. Once he was dry, Jou slipped on his pants and grabbed his shirt. He walked out to the living room where Yugi waited with the first aid kit. The blonde sat with his back to Yugi so he could clean the stitches properly. Yugi began to do so.

"Yugi...I wanna talk to Kaiba,"

Yugi blinked and stopped his hand from moving. "Jou?" he asked and waited from his to start speaking again. The seriousness in the other's voice had instantly caught his attention. "Why do you want to talk to Kaiba?"

"I might be feelin' pretty paranoid...but somethin' had been buggin' me. I need to talk to him about that attack and shit." Jou wasn't going to hide anything. "I need ya to come with me. Both of ya. You and the other you, Yami. Cause if I go alone I know Kaiba will just brush me aside and chop all this up to as magical bullshit. If ya are there with me then at least he will hear us out." he paused and sighed. 'I"m sorry if It sounds like I'm usin' ya."

Yugi just smiled and continue to clean the wound on Jou's back. "I don't see it like that. Not at all. I'll be happy to come with you and so will Yami. If you feel like you need to do this then we will support you. Do you want Honda and the others to come too?"

"No. Just you and me. The less people the better. " Jou replied as he winced. Yugi had dabbed a sore spot on his back. The smaller teen then sprayed some antiseptic on the wound and it cause intense stinging. Jou tensed up and clenched his jaw. He always hated this part of the treatment. "S-Shit..." he muttered as he could hear the slight fizzling on the medicine working to keep his large wound infection free. Yugi grasped onto Jou's arm gently to give him comfort. Soon the pain passed and Yugi wrapped the bandage around Jou's stomach, chest and back.

"Here. " Yugi reached over to the coffee table and picked up a glass of water. He handed the cup to Jou along with a few pills of pain killers. The blonde took them gratefully and swallowed the pills and he then swallowed the pills. He placed the glass onto the coffee table and slipped on the shirt he had been gripping tightly. It was now slightly wrinkled but Jounochi didn't care one bit. He turned to face Yugi. "We'll go to Kaiba's building tomorrow and ask to see him. If he refuses then we don't leave until he lets us. Got it?"

Yugi gave a serious nod. The door bell rang and Yugi got up to answer the front door. "That must be our pizza!" he hurried over and opened the door. He paid the pizza guy and brought the large box over to the coffee table. "Let's watch a movie and relax. You need your rest, Jou. Don't be stubborn okay?"

Jou blinked. "Ah! When am I ever stubborn?" he asked with a light huff. This caused Yugi to chuckle a little as he set up the DVD player.

"Always. You just don't realize it."

Jou looked away blushing a bit. "So what. Some people find it endearin' ya know?"

"I do. I find it endearing." Yugi told as he moved back to the couch. Soon the movie played and they began to eat. Jou was eating slower than he normally would. Yugi could see that he was pushing himself and wanting things to be normal. That is why he silently vowed to always be there for Jou even when the blonde didn't ask him too. It was a vow between him and Yami. They both would watch over their beloved friend together.

The next morning was a beautiful sunny day. Jou and Yugi stood outside of the Kaiba building with serious expressions on their face. Yugi closed his eyes and decided to let his alter ego, the spirit of the puzzle to take over. He would be far better suited for this. Yami opened his eyes and stared at Jou with determination. "Lets go. We won't falter. Right, Jounochi?"

The taller blonde nodded. "Ya. Lets see ol' moneybags. " he replied and they both began walk into the building. There was a large front desk where a strict looking young woman sat. Beside the desk was a few body guards with no expressions. Jou wouldn't be scared off that easily and he knew Yami was the same. The two moved towards the desk.

"Yo." Jou spoke up to the woman. "I need to see Kaiba." he stated bluntly. The woman gave a disgusted look.

" No one sees Mr. Kaiba without an appointment." she told them. Her tone was laced with arrogance.

"I don't care. " Jou replied. "I need to see him. It's serious. Tell him to come down. Yugi is also here."

"I refuse." the woman spoke. Her tone was grating on Jou's nerves.

'It's very important!" he yelled as he slammed his hands on the desk. This caused the two bodyguards to move over and grab Jou harshly. Yami frowned.

"Let him go. Don't be too rough with him. " he looked at the woman. "Please let us see Kaiba. It's very important. We won't take up much of his time." he explained. The bodyguards had a tight grip on Jounochi and he struggled. The pain from his wound began to flood into him causing him to cry out and collapse onto the floor.

"Jounochi!" Yami hurried over and kneel beside him. He could smell the blood and soon it seeped through his shirt. "Shit. Your stitches reopened." he glared up at the bodyguards. "I told you not to be too rough with him!" he snapped. Jou winced still and grasped onto Yami's arm.

"I'll be fine..."

The woman's expression still did not change. It held a snobbish, disgusted look. "Tch! It's his own fault for causing trouble. Now you sullied the floor. Get out!" she hissed and motioned for her guards to throw them both out.

"What is going on here?" came a voice. Standing at the elevator door was Seto with a few scientists. The brunet CEO walked over and saw Yugi and Jou on the floor. He noticed the blood upon the floor and recalled Jou being struck there by the debris during the attack at the school. "Why are you two here?" he asked.

Yami was about to speak but the woman at the front desk interrupted. "The two came in here demanding to see you, sir. I told them to leave and they refused. So I had my two guards begin to escort them out. It's not my fault that the blonde one was injured. He shouldn't of waltz in here making a fuss. The loser got what he had coming."

Kaiba stayed silent and looked over to Yami. "Why did you come here?" Yami frowned and sighed lightly. He glanced over at Jou who was struggling to stay calm. His back was intense pain. The smaller duelist stood up and helped Jou up.

"Jounochi wanted to speak with you about something. It was urgent. " Yami spoke. He held Jou close. "We wouldn't have come over like this if it wasn't important."

Kaiba stared at the two. "Alright. Follow me to the medical wing. Jounochi can get fixed up there. I'll hear what he has to say. Hate to admit it but he did save my life during that attack on the school." he explained. He glanced over to the woman at the front desk. "Get someone to clean this mess up. Now. "

The three moved to the medical wing of the building. A doctor began to tend to Jou's open stitches. Yami stood beside Kaiba and the brunet was focused on Jou. "What did you want to speak to me about?" he asked.

Jou glanced up and winced. "I have a bad feelin'. My instincts never steered me wrong before..." he grunted in pain. "I don't think...that will be the last monster thing after us...I could just be paranoid and I hope I am." he sighed out loud. "It's just there might be more monsters. I thought you should be at least aware of it."

Kaiba stared at him and frowned. "Don't be ridiculous." he folded his arms. "I can not explain what happened that day but I doubt it will happen again." he paused. "What I'm more concerned about is that masked man with my blue eyes white dragon."

The doctor finished treating Jou and the three of them walked to a conference room. Jou and Yami sat down beside each other. Seto sat at the head of the table. "It's been bothering me a lot. That man had been wielding the blue eyes like he owned it. It annoys me to no end and I want to find the bastard and reclaim what is mine."

"Do you think he stole one of your blue eyes?" Yami asked. "That is impossible."

"No. All my blue eyes are accounted for. All three of them."

Yami blinked. "My grandfather still has the torn one. He tapped it up and kept it framed in the living room. I'm wondering how this masked duelist has a copy..and the fact that his cards came to life."

Jou blinked and didn't remember any of this. He sighed. "Could he be using fake cards? It's not hard to create a fake copy."

Yami leaned back in his chair. "I'm not sure it's that simple. Maybe we should try to locate this guy.." he glanced at Seto. "Didn't he say something to you?"

Kaiba let out an annoyed grunt. "Yes. He told me to destroy the Promised Land project." he sighed tiredly. "Of course I'm not going to do that. We are very close to completing the harvesting process."

"Harvesting process...?" Yami asked. "What exactly are you doing?"

"None of your business. I don't have to share my project plans to you. You wouldn't understand anyway. " Kaiba spat and growled. He glanced away from Yami and looked at Jou who seemed to be lost in his own private thoughts.

"This harvesting...you are not causing any harm to anyone are you?" Yami asked. He didn't like the sound of that word.

"Of course not." Kaiba told. "Everything is Eco-friendly and nothing is being harmed." he sighed again. " We need to harvest the energy. Then the energy will be converted into a usable source by a machine called the Incubator. It will store the energy and convert it so humans can use it, however the process will take time. Harvesting is just the first step. The converting will take a great deal of time. A few months at tops." he explained.

Yami blinked. "I see. It sounds pretty straight forward..." he glanced at Jou who hadn't been listening at all. He was shaking slightly due to his wound. "Jou? Are you feeling alright?" Yami asked and grasp his shoulder gently to keep him steady.

" I don't care about the project but..." Jou glanced up. "You should be prepared for another attack just in case. Don't be stubborn about it. It's better to be prepared isn't it?" his brown eyes focused on Kaiba. Their eyes met and Seto frowned. He didn't understand why the blonde was freaking out over his safety.

"I'll keep it in mind if that will satisfy you." Seto told.

Jou nodded as Seto's cell phone rang. The brunet pulled it out of his pocket with his good arm and answered it. "What?" he asked. A few moments passed and the CEO's eyes widen. "What?!" he snapped and hung the phone up. He stood up. "Something happened at my home." he growled. He hurried out of the room. Yami and Jou hurried after him.

"Could it be another attack?" Yami asked. They gathered into the elevator. Seto pressed the button to go down. An angry look was on his face.

"Someone attacked my mansion and Mokuba..." Seto growled.

"He was taken?" Jou asked with a frown.

"Yes..."

The elevator ride was short and the air was tense. The three hurried out. "Let us come with you. Mokuba is our friend!" Yami told. Jou stayed silent but also agreed. They both stared at Kaiba's back as he hurried out to his car.

"I don't care what you do. Just don't get in my way, Yugi." Seto grunted. Yami and Jou glanced at each other before also getting in the back of the limo. They were off to the mansion. Seto was glaring at the seat in front of him. Worry began to set into the elder brother. Why would someone kidnap Mokuba? None of his current enemies never dared. It didn't matter. He would get Mokuba back and make those who took him feel nothing but hell. That was a promise. The limo reached the Kaiba mansion and the three stood outside of the gate. Guards laid unconscious on the ground. The doors and windows had been broken. Glass littered the grass of the gardens. It was total chaos and eerily silent.


End file.
